Illawarra schools have missed out on the thousands of automatic fresh air ventilation systems to be given to the state's schools by the NSW Government.
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Almost 2000 learning spaces, identified by a comprehensive audit of all NSW public school learning spaces, are set to receive permanent automatic fresh air ventilation systems to complement natural ventilation and airflow.
The ventilation systems are currently being procured and will be progressively installed.
A list provided to the Mercury by Education Minister Sarah Marshall's office revealed none of the 355 schools chosen to receive ventilation systems, were from the Illawarra.
Ms Marshall said the comprehensive audit of all NSW public school learning spaces had helped make schools COVID safe and identified opportunities for permanent improvements to enhance natural ventilation.
"Schools have received a mix of temporary and permanent remediation works, and in some cases have adapted the way they use spaces as part of their COVID-19 Safety plan," she said.
"Our focus now is on leveraging the insights from the audit of all our public schools to deliver permanent improvements to air quality through this investment.
"The advice from experts is that maximising natural ventilation is the most effective method of minimising the spread of COVID-19 and we will continue to implement measures that support this."
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Temporary measures, including the use of air purifiers, have been put in place in these learning spaces to supplement natural ventilation and to ensure that they are safe for use.
Member for Keira Ryan Park expressed his disappointment Illawarra schools had not been included in the list.
"We certainly expect some of this funding to be spent on local schools and this is an issue that has been raised with me by local parents and carers," Mr Park said.
On Wednesday the Opposition's Education spokesperson Prue Car also hit out at the solar renewable grants to public schools.
"There are public schools all across the suburbs of Sydney and in rural and regional New South Wales that are struggling to purchase basic equipment for the learning and education of children in their classrooms: schools that don't have air conditioning; schools still have unflued gas heaters; schools that can't have basic maintenance paid by the government, " Ms Car said.
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Agron Latifi
Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure.
Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure.
